Center for Academic Ethics (CAE) Student Research Grant
Request for Proposals
Annual Proposal Deadlines: October 1st and February 1st
Purpose
All UNI students are invited to apply for a research grant from the Center for Academic Ethics (CAE) to
conduct research on a topic related to academic or research ethics. The purpose of the competition is to
encourage students to take a scholarly interest in applied ethics that fits within the mission of the CAE.
Project Guidelines
A faculty member associated with the Center will provide guidance and oversee the student conducting the
research, although the student may involve an independent faculty advisor, other experts, or peers as well. All
applicants must propose to conduct an original qualitative or quantitative study that involves the collection of
new data or review of existing data pertaining to their topic. Other forms of scholarship may be considered as
long as they involve the production of new knowledge or understanding of the topic.
Examples of possible research topics include:
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approaches to fostering academic integrity and/or reducing cheating in the classroom
ethical issues pertaining to individual student, faculty, or administrator groups (e.g., incoming students, college
athletes, selected fields of researchers)
research on human or animal subjects research practices or IRB/IACUC systems
research or analyses on research integrity or misconduct (e.g., effective data management, plagiarism, image
falsification)
promoting or examining integrity in university administrative practices or systemic structures
ethics in communication or marketing across college campuses or with external constituents
technology innovations or practices to enhance integrity in scholarship or coursework
effective pedagogical practices for minimizing cheating in the college classroom
current publication, peer review, and authorship practices and trends
ethical issues in advising and mentoring students in writing, research, or other scholarly work
other ethical issues involving colleges and universities
Funding Available
Applicants may request up to $ 500 for reimbursement of planned expenses involved in conducting the
research project. Such expenses may include travel to study sites, compensation to participants, supplies,
printing, software, lab samples, or other items. Funds may not be used for salaries or wages, most equipment,
or personal expenses.
Deadline for Proposals
Proposals are due no later than 5:00 pm on October 1st and February 1st each year.
Project Period
Applicants may conduct their research either during the spring or summer 2016, or may propose a project that
spans both. The project period start and end dates must be specified in the proposal.
Dissemination of Study Results
The recipient(s) must offer at least one presentation about their study results, to be provided either at a campus
or college level student symposium, or off campus at an external professional conference, within one year of the
end date of the project. On campus possibilities could be a future Ethics Conference, the annual Graduate
Symposium, the annual spring CSBS Student Symposium, the summer student STEM conference, or others. If
the student is interested in presenting at an external conference, s/he may be eligible for partial travel
reimbursement, either through the CAE, their college, or the Intercollegiate Academic Fund
(http://www.uni.edu/provost/iaf). The development of a poster presentation and/or professional journal article
are also encouraged. The Center or other faculty advisor for the project will guide the student in developing
their presentation(s). Applicants must specify in their proposals which methods they plan to use to disseminate
their results.
Eligibility
To be eligible you must:
Be an undergraduate or graduate student.
Be enrolled as a part-time or full-time student during the project period (or subsequent fall, if the project period
is during the summer).
Teams of 2 or more UNI students are also eligible to apply together for one grant project.
Projects must be substantially conceived, led, and implemented by the student(s); faculty may only participate
in an advisory role. Class projects and projects in which a student serves as a research assistant on a
faculty project are generally not eligible for funding.
Submissions Guidelines
Applications must include the following:
1) Project information sheet that specifies: a) student name(s), address, email, and phone number, b)
expected enrollment status (f/t, p/t) during each semester of the project period; c) student major or
program, undergraduate or graduate student, and level/status (e.g., sophomore, 1st year grad student,
etc.); d) project title; d) project start and end dates; e) names and affiliations of any other advisors or
project team members; and f) 2-3 sentence abstract summary of the project.
2) Project narrative of no longer than 2 pages, single spaced, outlining the study project (12 pt font, 1 inch
margins all around). Address the following:
a) information on your interest in the subject matter and any past experience you may have studying the
topic. (Note: Past experience is not required.)
b) question(s) the study will attempt to answer
c) the purpose and nature of the project (why is this project important? Include background citations
fitting your project within the current literature)
d) study design and procedures (how will the project be carried out?)
e) expected project outcomes, including how you will disseminate the results.
3) A budget plan that includes costs per item, total number of items, total project costs, and a justification
of any extraordinary items in the budget. Your plan may be modified later, if needed, under the
guidance of the Center’s project advisor. The budget plan may not include expenses that have already
been incurred.
Submit the three documents (cover page, 2 page narrative, and budget plan) as attachments to an email to
anita.gordon@uni.edu, no later than 5:00 pm on the due date.
Reimbursement Guidelines
Original receipts will be required in order to request reimbursement for expenses, as well as a summary of the
progress and/or outcomes to date-- 3-4 paragraphs explaining what was accomplished and what the next steps in
the project will be. Requests for reimbursement, along with a brief progress or final report, must be submitted
no later than the last day of classes each semester (August 15th, for summer activities).
IRB (Humans) or IACUC (Animals) Committee Approval will be required prior to the start of any relevant
recruitment or data collection activities. Information on this is available on the web at
http://www.uni.edu/rsp/research-compliance.
Questions may be directed to anita.gordon@uni.edu.